For a couple of days I’ve been fascinated by these words in Hosea:
“In that day,” declares the Lord,
“you will call me ‘my husband’;
you will no longer call me ‘my master.’
(Hos. 2/16).
In short, the book about Hosea is the narrative of Hosea marrying a woman who turned promiscuous and adulterous. Just like in the parable of the prodigal son, too much wild living never ends well and this woman ended up on the slave market. Hosea is commanded by God to buy her back and restore her as a much-beloved wife.
The story isn’t just about marriage restoration - it’s a parable of God’s love for Israel, in the first instance, for they had forgotten their God and worshipped all sorts of idols associated with witchcraft and the occult. God strongly desired to restore Israel as His beloved chosen people who He wanted to richly bless.
In the second instance, Hosea’s story speaks about us who have been enslaved to practices that belong to the world of Satan: practices that lead to sin and separation from God. Simply put, anything that doesn’t honour God and His pure and righteous character, is sin. Any practice or belief that detracts from a holy God, is sin.
Hosea teaches us that God has provided a way of healing, forgiveness and full restoration.
“I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness,
and you will acknowledge the LORD” (Hos. 2:19-20).
The way of healing and forgiveness was provided through Jesus, the Son of God, who came to earth as a baby, fully identifying with us, so that He could substitute our failures with His righteousness, give us His reward and take our penalty for sin and failure.
In doing this, Jesus has promised freedom and love to all those who come to Him — people who had been held captive and enslaved by people, experiences and belief systems.
Jesus heals hearts and bodies so that His people are blessed (v15 “give her vineyards”) and will be fully released from sin so they can have hope (“I will give her ….the Valley of Achor as a door of hope” v15) .
No longer will you be enslaved to a tyrant husband but you will be loved by a generous and forgiving husband who will provide you the freedom to sing like you did when you were a young girl. (Hos. 2:15).
When you were dead in your sins …, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,having cancelled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross (Col.2:13-15).
So this Christmas as you are besieged by images and models of nativity scenes, look beyond that baby in a manger. Look to your Saviour who declared:
“For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jer. 29:21).
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